Why do immature apples fall off and what to do about it?

It often happens that a seemingly healthy tree suddenly starts dropping fruit in June, or even flowers and ovaries fall from it. There are several reasons why a plant can begin to behave this way.

It just so happened that only 10% of the total number of flowers in the future will turn into full-fledged apples. All the rest are needed only as an insurance against frost, pest invasions, mechanical effects and all the rest. The resources of the tree are not enough to feed the remaining ovaries, so in June and even July, the abscission of apples is quite normal. Do not be alarmed. In the same way, an apple tree regulates the amount of crop for which its nutrients are enough.

It also happens that the ovaries fall off later - in August and even September. As a rule, at least 10 fruits remain on the tree, even if the apple tree is already relatively old. If the ovary remains dangerously small, then it is worth looking for the reason in something else. Another reason for the early fall of the fruit may be a feature of the variety. Many hybrids, developed not so long ago, hold fruit for a long time after ripening, however, earlier developments are not similar. As soon as the apple ripens, it immediately falls to the ground.

It also happens that apples fall without ripening, and in the future they just need to let them rest. If this does not occur as an exception, it can also be attributed to the characteristics of the variety.

Keep in mind: nature has conceived that first the apples ripen on the lower branches, then in the middle of the crown, and then at the very top. So if you started to fall apples from the lower branches - most likely, this is a signal that the harvest can already be safely collected. One of the reasons for early fallout of young apples may be an insufficient or excessive amount of moisture, which falls on the tree. If annual plants, on the contrary, tend to increased fruiting in the event of a shortage of water, trying to produce seeds, then perennial fruit trees are a completely different case. If there is not enough water, then the apple tree may not produce a crop at all, and the apples will fall without ripening. The priority is green leaves, not fruits.

Therefore, if the tree does not receive enough water, then first turn yellow, rot on the tree and fall off small apples, and only then the leaves. Therefore, it is important to follow the correct watering pattern. If, on the contrary, watering is too superficial and frequent, it is fraught with freezing of the roots. The fact is that water must penetrate deep into the ground to envelop the entire root system, and not just the upper branches. In the case of sparse irrigation, only the upper part of the roots gets enough water. Therefore, it develops better and more intensively. In winter, when the earth freezes, the roots freeze too. As a result, the apple tree has to be fed at the expense of poorly developed deep roots, which also does not stimulate further fruiting.

In rare cases, too much watering can cause the roots to rot. As a result, the entire power cycle of the tree will be broken. Then, first of all, fruits will fall from the upper branches, and then the tree itself will begin to wither. It will be necessary to take a set of measures to level the negative consequences of this. Another reason - the lack of minerals in the soil. This is especially noticeable until July, since during this period there is an intense flowering and the appearance of ovaries, therefore the plant needs as many different minerals as possible.It is imperative to produce preventive dressings, as well as from time to time to check the amount of certain substances in the soil with the help of simple tests or equipment.

Climate has a great influence on the ability of a tree not to shed its fruits ahead of time. Recently, late frosts are increasingly observed, as a result of which the tree is not able to recover on its own, therefore it makes the simplest decision - to get rid of “offspring”. To avoid this, it is necessary to process the apple tree with protective agents immediately, as the temperature turned out to be close to critical. Lack of pollination is also a frequent reason why apples fall without ripening. If there are no other apple trees nearby, no cross-pollination occurs, then the process of crop formation itself will not proceed smoothly.

Not only natural causes can have a significant impact on the ability of an apple tree to bear fruit. Important aspects are proper care, timely application of fertilizers, suitable conditions for plant growth, as well as their protection from all sorts of pests and viruses. Much depends on the time of ripening apples. For example, for late varieties, it is natural to discard a certain number of ovaries and fruits in the middle of summer. Another thing, if discarded flowers and ovaries is threateningly many. Then we are talking about the influence of some adverse factor.

If the fruits are almost ripe, but have not reached the desired condition, and the apple has already dropped them, we can talk about the fact that the plant does not have enough nutrients to grow all the available fruits. A bright signal about this state of affairs can be the presence of large, almost ripe fruits, and very small, still green ovaries on one tree. In this case, the apple tree resets almost ripe fruit and redistributes resources in order to nourish those that have not reached the ground yet.

Anyway Proper care is very important. It consists not only in the observance of agrotechnical methods, but also in the timely fertilization of the tree, spraying it from disease-causing insects. At the same time, pollinating insects should not be allowed to fly around the tree either, otherwise there is a great risk of not waiting for the harvest because of insufficient pollination. Another factor that does not depend on the efforts of the gardener is the age of the tree. In the old apple tree, all processes are much slower than in the young tree, so it cannot physically provide all the fruits with the necessary resources. However, even this problem can be solved if one finds out in time and correctly approaches the task, having armed with the necessary information and having prepared the necessary equipment and preparations.

Non-compliance with the rules of care is one of the main reasons why apples fall from the tree. Excessive or insufficient watering, the wrong choice of location, low light, poor neighborhood, lack of work on pruning and renewal of the crown, etc. can cause a number of problems with tree yield.

The first thing to say about the neighborhood. For many traditional varieties of apple trees, it is vital that apple trees of any other species grow nearby. Only as a result of cross-breeding can full-fledged ovaries appear. Otherwise, the harvest will simply not be.

Also one of the most important aspects is pruning a tree. It is done not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for the removal of dead branches, for the emergence of new shoots, to ensure sufficient ventilation inside the crown. It is also necessary to thin the branches in order to ensure sufficient access to sunlight.This also affects whether a tree can produce a full-fledged harvest.

Before planting an apple tree, it is necessary to properly prepare the place. Do not plant in areas with shallow groundwater. Otherwise, the roots will rot, as an excessive amount of moisture will contribute to waterlogging of the soil. If there is no other place, you will have to constantly drain the soil to ensure a normal flow of air to the roots. If the tree is able to eat normally, it will stop dropping the fruit.

Among other things, the apple tree may suffer from the invasion of parasites and pests. Among the most common among those whose livelihoods can contribute to dropping apples and ovaries, is the codling moth. Everyone knows that apples are often wormy, but only a few are able to associate such a symptom with fruit falling. Thus, the caterpillars winter in the bark of trees, feeding on fruits in the spring and summer, and then turning into butterflies. According to statistics for the summer, the moth can cover up to 650 fruits. At one time, a butterfly can lay 115 eggs, with each of the hatched caterpillars being able to spoil an average of three fruits.

Due to the fact that the biological life cycle of the codling moth is equal to the period of flowering and fruiting of the apple tree, a large amount of harvest can be lost during the summer. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to timely chemical treatments. It is also necessary to process the trunk in order to prevent the colonization of the moth, as well as to set up pheromone traps. The causes of apple subsidence can also be fungal diseases - scab and moniliosis. To calculate them, you need to pay attention to the general appearance of the plant. When scabs on the leaves appear brown spots, the fruits are also covered with brown growths. When moniliose fruits begin to rot right on the tree, and then fall.

The fight against such diseases is carried out with the help of chemicals. They need to pick up depending on the infection.

• Against scab plants treated with copper sulfate solution. It is necessary to spray the entire apple tree, starting from the top of the crown, ending with the trunk. The solution will require two or three percent.
• Plants with monoliosis are treated with fungicides. Excellent for this fit "Abiga-Peak", "Planzir", "Horus".

As for the quality of the soil, it is sometimes a matter of its excess acidity. In order to produce alkalization of the soil, use the bark. It must be brought under the apple tree, mixed with soil. You can feed the plant, using potash fertilizers, as the lack of potassium is responsible for the abscission of fruits. It is also useful to do such top dressing as a preventive measure, applying fertilizer every spring.

Revision of care can also positively affect the quality and quantity of the crop. As mentioned above, regular and abundant watering is important for apple trees. In the summer, especially in extreme heat, you need to water the tree at least five times a week, while ensuring that the water penetrates deep to the roots. Tree pruning is carried out twice a year: in early spring and late autumn after the entire crop is removed. Do not neglect the pruning procedure, as this may also affect the ability of the plant to bear fruit. Young branches better maintain the weight of the fruit, so do not shed them.

Check the tree from time to time for viruses or moths. Perform prophylactic treatments to prevent the occurrence of any disease. Remember that prevention is much better than cure.In this way, you will minimize the risk of fruit falling off, and at the same time protect the apples from putting worms in them.

Also plant another apple of another variety somewhere nearby to ensure cross-pollination. Without it, your harvest will not be so tasty. In addition, due to the lack of genetic material, the apple tree is likely to start dropping ovaries and immature fruits. Caring for apple trees is not time consuming, so another apple tree does not give you trouble.

On the shedding of fruits from trees and on biological preparations for pest control, see the following video.